Handwheel



H. W. DOVER May 14, 1929.

HANDWHEEL Filed Nov. 15, 1927 Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITED STATES HORACE WALTER DOVER, 0F NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND.

HANDWHEEL.

Application filed. November 15, 1927, Serial No. 233,343, and in Great Britain November 19, 1926.

In the specification of my prior British Letters Patent No. 162,544; is described and claimed a hand wheel whereof the rim-portion is built up of annular inner and outer peripheral portions, oi which the inner peripheral portion is constituted by two parts each of concavo-convex cross-section arranged one within the other with their free edges spaced slightly from one another, and of which. the outerperipheral portion is of concavo-convex cross-section. and shouldered or off-set inwardly at its marginal portions, so that said offset marginal portions may fit between the free edges of the two parts of the inner peripheral portion of the rim and the outer surfaces of said inner and outer peripheral portions may be substantially continuous. In that specification it is also stated that the two constituent partsfot the inner peripheral portion, having been arranged the one within the other, are then pierced to receive the outer ends of the arms of the wheel, said outer ends are fitted in position and their junctions with the inner peripheral portion are then brazed, welded or similarly treated so as to unite the parts.

In the specification of my prior British Letters Patent No. 162,499 is described and claimed an arm for a hand wheel formed from sheet metal bent from a blank to the desired cross-section of arm required, the lateral marginal portions ot the blank being inturned at what is to be, preferably, the underside of the arm, so as to form a diaphragn'i across, or strengthening rib within, the arm, and in this last-mentioned specifica tion it is stated that the arm of that invention may be employed in connection with a rim-portion built up in accordance with the first mentioned specification.

The object of the present invention is to strengthen the fixing of such and other arms to a rim-portion such, for instance, as one according to the first mentioned specification, for which purpose the inner part of the inner peripheral portion of the ri1n-portion is formed with pockets or recesses corresponding in number and angular position with. the arms of the wheel and with their concavities presented towards the centre of the wheel, the outer part of the inner peripheral portion of the rin1-portion slit circumferentially of said portion and its margins are folded inwardly of said portion to present apertures for the introduction therei-nto of the outer ends of the arms of the wheel, and, after said ends have been so introduced, molten metal is cast in the space surrounding said ends, thus embedding them and securing them firmly to the rim-portion.

If the arms of the wheel are to be of cast metal. the securing of their ends to the rimportion may be cii'ected by casting; the arms, including the metal in the pockets or recesses, in situ or the outer ends of previously cast arms may be secured in the pockets or recesses as just described.

It the arms of the wheel are to be in accordance with the second mentioned specification there is no necessity to shoulder their ends as before, but on the contrary, the tubular structure of the arms may be squeezed in at said ends in order to prevent molten metal from flowing thereinto and the more irregular the deformation of said structure, the more firmly will said ends be embedded in, and secured by, the cast metal, whilst the absence of any thin out edges presented in the circumferential direction precludes the possibility of any cutting action or undue wear as result ot e. g. the strain due to a sudden turning" of the wheel.

Any suitable metal such as aluminimn, brass, type-metal or likealloy may be employed for embedding; the ends oi previously formed arms.

One form of the n'csent invention is illustrated by the accompai'iying drawings, wherein Figure l is a partly sectional plan of a short length of the rim-portion of a motor car steering wheel with an arm scoured thereto; Figure 2 is a section on the line 22,Figure 1; Figure 3 is an end View of the arm alone, as seen from the outer end;

and Figure d is a cross-section of the arm on the line P- l, Figure 2.

As shown the rim-portion of the hand wheel is built up of annular inner and outer peripheral portions, of which the inner peripheral portion is constituted by two parts a and 1) arranged the one a within the other 7) with their free edges spaced slightly from one another, and of which the outer peripheral portion 0 is of COE'lCZtVO-COHVGX cross-section and shouldered or cit-set inwardly at its marginal portions, so that said cit-set marginal portions may fit between the tree edges of the two parts a and b and the outer surfaces of the portions 12 and 0 may be substantially continuous. The part a is formed with pockets or recesses such as (Z corresponding innumber and angular position with the arms such as c of the wheel,

whilst the part b is slit circumferentially of sand part and its margins are folded inwardly of said part as at to present apertures for the introduction thereinto of the outer ends of the arms a,

Each arm 0 is formed in accordance with my prior British Letters Patent N 0. 162,499, the tubularstructure being squeezed in at its outer end .in order to prevent molten metal from flowing there into and twisted out of its normal plane, as shown especially in Figure 3, the more firmly to embed said end in, and secure it by, the cast metal, as hereinafter set forth, whilst if the flattened end of the arm be drilled as at 9 this will assist the molten metal to flow from one side to the other and also provide a more secure grip to prevent the arm from working loose.

After the outer end. of anarm 6 has been introduced into the aperture between the inwardly folded margins f, molten metal, such ripheral portion is constituted by two parts each of concavo-convex cross-section arranged one withm the other withthelr free edges spaced slightly from one another, and

of which the outer peripheral portion is of concavo-convex cross-section and shouldered or off-set inwardly at its marginal portions, so that said off-set marginal portions may fit between the free edges ofthe two parts of the 'innerperipheral portion of the rim and the outer surfaces of said innerand outer peripheral portions may be substantially continuous, the inner part ofsaid inner peripheral portion being formed with pockets or recesses" with their concavities presented towards the centre of the wheel and the outer, part of said inner peripheral portion being slit'cireumferentially of said portion and having its margins off-set to present apertures forthe introduction thereinto of the outer ends of the arms of the wheel, while, after said ends have been so introduced, molten metal is cast in the space surrounding said ends, thus embedding them and securing them firmly to the rim-portion. 2, A hand wheel whereof the rim-portion is built up of annular inner and outer peripheral portions, of which the inner peripheral portion'is constituted by two parts eachof concavo-convex cross-section arranged one within the other with their free edges spaced slightly from one another, and of which the outer peripheral portion is of concave-convex cross-section and shouldered or off-set inwardly at its marginal portions, so that said elf-set marginal portions may lit between the free edges of the two parts of the inner peripheral portion of the rim and the outer surfaces of said inner and outer peripheral portions may be substantially continuous, the inner part of said inner peripheral portion being formed with pockets or recesses with their concavities presented towards the centre of the wheel and the outer part of said inner peripheral portion being slit circumferentially of said portion and having its margins ofl -sct to present apertures for the introduction thereinto of the outer ends of the arms of the wheel, said arms, including the metal in the pockets or recesses, being cast in situ.

3. A hand wheel as claimed in claim 1, whereof the arms are each bent from a sheet metal blank, the marginal portions of said blank being inturned and forming a diaphragm within the arm, and the tubular structure of each of the arms at its outer end being squeezed in and twisted out of its normal plane.

4. A hand wheel whereof the rim-portion is built up of annular inner and outer peripheral portions, of which the inner peripheral portion is constituted by two parts each of concave-convex cross-section arranged one within the other with their free edges spaced slightly from one another, and of which the outer peripheral portion is of concavo-convex cross-section and shouldered or offset inwardly at its marginal portions, so that said off-set marginal portions may fit between the free edges of the two parts of the inner peripheral portion of the rim and the outer surfaces of said inner and outer peripheral portions may be substantially continuous, the inner part of said inner peripheral portion being of sharper curvature than the outer part so that while said parts are tangential at the centre of their transverse curvature their free edges are spaced slightly from one another, and being formed with pockets or recesses with their concavities presented towards the centre of the wheel and the outer part of said inner peripheral portion being slit circumferentially of said portion and having its margins off-set to present apertures for the introduction thereinto of the outer ends of the arms of the wheel, while, after said ends have been so introduced, molten metal is cast in the space surrounding said ends, thus embedding them and securing them firmly to the rim-portion.

5. A hand wheel as claimed in claim 1, whereof the arms are each bent from a sheet metal blank, the marginal portions of said blank being inturned at the underside of blank, the marginal portions of said blank said arm and forming a diaphragm Within being sharply inturned at said underside so said arm. as to lie contiguous With one another and l 6. A hand Wheel as claimed in claim 1 forming a diaphragm lying substantially 5 whereof each arm is of substantially flatalong the minor axis of the cross-section of tened oval cross-section with its underside said arm. V-shaped and is bent from a; sheet metal HORACE lVALTER DOVER. 

